Avis Budget Group revamps its loyalty initiative

Its new free-to-join Avis Preferred membership scheme

Mobility solutions provider Avis Budget Group has revealed it has enhanced ts popular free loyalty initiative, Avis Preferred. 

The new programme offers instant rewards, including a 10% discount from the first rental, and benefits that truly matter to vehicle renters. 

Members can use the Avis App to verify their identity ahead of time to bypass the counter, and in some locations, access their vehicle via a self-service kiosk or go direct to their rental car where the keys are waiting. 

Under the tagline “More rewarding car hire”, the new Avis Preferred loyalty programme for 2024 will retain its priority services with a host of benefits regardless of the member’s vehicle rental history.

Benefits include 10% off all future car rentals, from sign up, automatically applied at booking, priority service where members jump the queue with pre-prepared paperwork and their vehicle at the ready as well as access to exclusive offers with selected travel partners.

If a user rents five times and spends €1,000 that year, they qualify for Avis Preferred Plus, with complimentary single car upgrades and free additional driver.  

If a user rents 10 times and spends €2,000 that year, they qualify for the President's Club tier and have benefits boosted further with complimentary single upgrades and free double upgrades on weekends, a free additional driver and free Roadside Assistance Plus.  

Partner offers include 10% off Viator adventures, 12% off Lounge Pass airport lounge passes, up to 30% off Airport Lounge membership with Priority Pass and up to 55% off Photobox.

The Avis loyalty programme started in 1988 but the new loyalty offering comes after qualitative and quantitative consumer research was conducted internationally with Avis Preferred members, as well as vehicle rental clients, who were not part of the scheme. 

Martin Gruber, vice president, commercial, International, said: “Feedback from our research suggests that people are put off by rewards being inaccessible if they don’t rent frequently enough. Customers want instant access to benefits and relevant rewards, which is what we're giving them with this supercharged Avis Preferred programme.”

Alan Olivier-Smith, general manager of Avis Budget Group UK, added: “As a member of Avis Preferred, the benefits don’t just start when the vehicle is hired, our regular customers can enjoy them long before they set off. 

"As a company Avis Budget Group prides itself on innovating and evolving the entire product offering and proposition and Avis Preferred has been an integral and expanding loyalty programme since it first launched in the 1980s. 

"We are so proud to be bringing these great new benefits to our Avis Preferred members.”